Folding table



May 28, 1940. w. P. DE sAussuRE. JR v 2,202,624

-- FOLDING TABLE Filed Feb. 15, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet 1 mat a w w 49; ATTOI'QNEY y 1940. w. P. DE sAussuRE, JR 24 FOLDING TABLE Filed Feb. 15, 1939 s Sheets-Sh eet 2 v "NWWWW!!!)WImy Patented May 28,1940

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING TABLE 7 William P. De Saussure, Jr., Englewood, N. J. Application February 15, 1939, Serial No. 256,433

12 Claims. (Cl. 311-88) This invention relates to folding tables of the Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2 but type in which either the tops of thelegs or the showing the leg partly extended; upper ends of the leg bracing links are slidably ,Figs. 5 and 6 are broken side views showin connected to the table top to permit the legs the relationship between the pivot pin and its 5 to be extended or retracted. The object of the slot as the legs approach and reach their extended 5 invention is to provideimproved means for position; locking the legs in extended position of simple Fig. '7 is an end elevation of the table with construction, positive and reliable in action, and. parts in section, the legs being in partly extended readily releasable when the legs are to be folded. position as in Fig. 4;

According to the invention, the sliding con- Fig. 8 is an end elevation of a table embodying 10 nection with the table top of the upper ends of ing in a modified form certain features of the the legs, or of the upper ends of the bracing invention; links, as the case may be, is by means of rotata- Fig. 9 is a section on the line 99 of Fig. 8 ble lugs extending from the leg ends, or link with the pivot pin turned into release position;

ends, into guiding slots, the lugs being of greater Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the table shown 15 thickness in one direction than in another and in Fig. 8 taken in the direction of the arrow the slots being of a width less than the greater 10 of Fig. 8; thickness of the lugs and having enlarged parts Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a table embodying at the points reached by the lugs when the legs certain features of the invention in another have been moved to their extended position. modified form; 20 When the legs have been moved to their ex- Fig. 12 is a section on the line l2--l2 of Fig. 11; tended position each of the lugs is turned in and the enlarged part of its slot to an angular posi- Fig. 13 is a section on the line 13-43 of Fig. 12.

tion such that it cannot re-enter the smaller 'Referring to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1 a of ts slot, W y leg is s curely locked to '7, the table top Is has secured to its under side 25 in position. The legsare usually connected in at each end, only one end of the table being pairs, a d n S c Ca the guiding d ock ng shown in Figs. 1 and 2, two spaced angle bars l6. lugs f each p ir f l s r most desirably The vertical downwardly projecting Web of each formed by the nd of a ma Which extends of these angle bars has near its outer end a longitween and is ro a ab y connected the legs, tudinally extending slot ll. A pair of table legs and, most desirably, the turning movement of la connected at their upper ends by an angle this rod to locking position is effected automatibar [9 are pivotally and slidably connected to cally, as by means whereby, as the legs move to the table top by a rod 20 which extends between their extended position. the rod is put under tenthe upper ends of the legs and through openings sion to turn itsends to locking position when in the upper ends and has its two ends extending they have reached the enlarged part of the slots. into the guiding slots H. A bracing and posi- A full understanding of the invention can best tioning link 2! for each leg is pivotally connected be given by a detailed description in connection at its upper end to one of the bars l6, as indit drawings illustrating approvedd cated at 22, and at its lower end to the leg at a 40 ments f the same, and Such a description W111 point 23 suitably distant from the upper end of 40',

now be given in connection with the accompanythe l so that when the lower ends of the legs ing drawings in which: are moved downward away from the table. top Fig. l is a side elevation of one end of a table 2;; fi gzgi g i g zfi g iigi gg g g g; embodying my invention, with the legs shown in 1.

ends of the rod 20 shdmg 1n the guide slots l1 .folded' posltlon and by dotted hnes until the lugs reach the inner ends of the slots, fggzgfifif fggg View Showing at which time the legs will be in their vertical 1 extended position. The angle bars iii are spaced the crossing of the cross braces between the table apart sufficiently to leave room between the bars legs and the plate by whlch they are bound and the legs when in closed position for the 50 ge t I links 2|, and spacing washers 26 are provided Fig. 2 is a o tom plan vlew of the same Wlth on the rod 20 between the ends of the legs and the le s folded; the angle bars.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same with the As shown, the legs are braced by means of legs folded;

cross braces 24 formed; by fiat metal strips op- 55 positely notched at the crossing point and bound together by a pair of plates 25 welded to the braces one on each side thereof, the plates having turned-over edges or flanges and being of such dimensions that these flanges engage the sides of the cross-bars.

The rod 2|) most desirably and as shown is a round bar of steel or other suitable elastic material, and the ends of the bar beyond the ends of the legs are flattened, as by being cut away on one side, as most clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6, so that the thickness of the ends in one direction is less than the diameter or thickness of the bar; and the slots H are narrower than the diameter of the bar and most desirably of a widthv just sufficient to take the ends of the bar with an easy sliding fit when the bar is turned so that the flat sides of the ends are parallel with the edge of the slot, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, except that at its inner end each of the slots has an enlargement which is of circular form and of a size to receive the ends of the rod when turned to any angular position, or to receive the unreduced cylindrical rod. Whenthe legs are in folded position and during the opening and closing movements of the legs with the ends of the rod travelling in the slots, the fiat sides of the rod ends are parallel to the edge of the slot. When the legs are in their fully extended position, the ends of the rod are in the enlarged end portions of the slots, and may then be turned to an angular position such as shown in Fig. 6, and when so turned the legs are thereby securely locked in extended position, since when the rod ends are so turned it is impossible for them to re-enter the narrower portion of the slots.

In order to prevent endwise movement of the rod after assembly when its ends are in the enlarged end portions of the slots, the holes in the spacing washers 26 are of the segmental form of the ends of the rod 2|] and thus serve as retaining means, holding the rod against such movement.

In the table shown in Figs. 1 to 7, the turning of the rod 26 to lock the legs when they have been swung out to their extended position is effected automatically. For this purpose, the rod 20 is provided with a bent plate 27 welded or otherwise attached thereto at the middle thereof, and one end of this plate 2'! extends in position to engage an edge of the angle bar i9 so that as the legs are swung outward away from the table and their upper ends moved inward from the end of the table, the angle bar, as the legs pivot on the rod 29, forces the engaged end of plate 27 upward; and since the ends of the rod cannot turn in the slots until they reach the enlarged inner end of the slots, the middle portion of the rod is turned slightly and forced upward as shown in Fig. 4 and by dotted lines in Fig. 5, thus putting the ends of the rod under torsional strain so that when the rod ends are moved into the enlarged end portions of the slots the ends turn to the angular position shown in Fig. 6. With the rod ends in this angular position they cannot re-enter the slots, and the legs are thus securely locked in their extended position.

When the rod 20 is in looking position, the inwardly extending end of the plate 21 is turned down away from the table top, as shown in Fig. 6, and this end of the plate serves as means whereby, by pressing it upward toward the table top, the rod. may be turned back to bring the flat side of its ends into alignment with the edge of the slots, thereby unlocking the legs, the rod ends being then in angular position to enter the slots and be slidable therein to permit the legs to be returned to folded position. This plate end, or finger-piece, extends at such an angle and. for

such distance from the rod that when it has been moved upward into engagement with the table top the rod ends are in the right angular position to enter the slots, the part of the table top engaged by the finger piece serving as a stop to limit the movement of the finger-piece.

In the modification'shown by Figs. 8, 9 and 10, instead of depending on the use of a spring rod which is put under torsional strain for effecting the locking movement of the rod ends when the legs reach their extended position, a cross-bar 3|! connecting the upper ends of the legs carries a leaf spring 3| which bears against a lug or shoulder on the pivot rod 20a, such lug being formed, as shown, by one end of a plate 21a. welded to the rod. As the upper ends of the legs move inward when the legs are being swung out to extended position, the spring 3| is put under tension so that when the ends of the rod come to the enlarged ends of the slots the rod is turned by the spring to effect the locking of the legs as before. As shown in this figure, also, the rod ends are flattened on their upper side instead of on the lower side as in Figs. 1 to 7, and the enlargement at the inner end of the slots is not of complete circular form, so that, the reduced end portions of the rod being suitably short, the angle bars l6 serve to prevent endwise movement of the rod out of position after assembly, and the spacing washers 26 are not depended on for this purpose andmay have cir- 5b. The locking enlargements are at the outer end of the slots, that is, the end toward the leg I pivots, and as shown are not circular but of a form such as shown in Fig. 10, so that the unreduced portions of the rod cannot pass through them. The flattened portion of the rod end shown is made by milling or otherwise forming a slot in the rod, leaving unreduced the end portion extending beyond the flattened portion. This extending end has welded thereon a plate (i0. By pressing on one or the other ends of this v plate M, the rod may be given the necessary turning movement for locking and unlocking the legs when they are in extended position and the rod ends in the locking enlargements of the slots l'lb. Such an operating plate might obviously be applied to the other end of the rod, also, and in such case these plates will serve to prevent endwise movement of the rod out of position, one of the plates being welded to the rod end after assembly. For convenience in assembly when 1;

the locking enlargements of the slots I'Ib. are, as shown, not of a size or shape to permit the unreduced portions of therod to pass, the slots I'Ib may be extended at their other ends for a distance beyond the path of travel of the ends of the locking rod and provided in such extended portion with an enlargement 4| of sufficient size to permit the unreduced portions of the rod to pass through. y

What is claimed is:

1. The combination in a folding table, of a leg, a bracing and positioning link pivotally connected to the leg intermediate the ends of the leg, the upper end of one of said members being pivotally connectedto the table top and the upper end of the other of'said members being pivotally and slidably connected to the table top by means of a lug rotatably mounted in the end of said part and extending therefrom into a slot in a part of the table top, said lug being of greater thickness in one direction than in another and said slot being of a width less than the greater thickness of the lug and having an enlarged part at the point reached by the lug when the leg is in extended position, and means for turning said lug when in said enlarged part of the slot to lock the leg in its extended position.

2. The combination in a folding table, of a leg, a bracing and positioning link pivotally connected .to the leg intermediate the ends of the leg, the upper end of the link being pivotally connected to the table top and the upper end of the leg being pivotally and slidably connected to the table top by means of a lug rotatably mounted in the end of said part and extending therefrom into a slot in a part of the table top, said lug being of greater thickness in one direction than in another and said slot being of a width less than the greater thickness of the lug and having an enlarged part at the point reached by the lug when the leg is in extended position, and means for turning said lug when in said enlarged part of the slot to lock the leg in its extended position.

3. The combination in a folding table, of a leg, a bracing and positioning link pivotally connected to the leg intermediate the ends of the leg, the upper end of the leg being pivotally connected to the table top and the upper end of the link being pivotally and slidably connected to the table top by means of a lug rotatably mounted in the end of said part and extending therefrom into a slot in a part of the table top, said lug being of greater thickness in one direction than in another and said slot being of a width less than the greater thickness of the lug and having an enlarged part'at the point reached by the lug when the leg is in extended position, and means for turning said lug when in said enlarged part of the slot to lock the leg in its extended position.

4. The combination in a folding table, of a leg, a bracing and positioning link pivotally connected to the leg intermediate the ends of the leg, the upper end of one of said members being pivotally connected to the table top and the upper end of the other of said members being pivotally and slidably connected to the table top by means of a lug rotatably mounted in the end of said part and extending therefrom into a slot in a part of the table top, said lug being of greater thickness in one direction than in another and said slot being of a width less than the greater thickness of the lug and having an enlarged part at the point reached by the lug when the leg is in extended position, means for automatically turning said lug when it enters said enlarged part of the slot to lock the leg in its extended position, and means for turning said lug to unlock the leg to permit it to be turned to its folded position.

5. The combination in a folding table, of a pair of connected legs, a bracing and positioning link pivotally connected to each of said legs intermediate the ends of the leg, the upper ends of said links being pivotally connected to the table top and the upper ends of the legs being pivotally and slidably connected to the table top by means of lugs extending therefrom into slots in parts of the table top, said lugs being of greater thickness in one direction than in another and said slots being of a Width less than the greater thickness of the lugs and each slot having an enlarged part at the point-reached by the lug when the legs are in extended position, and means for turning said lugs when in said enlarged parts of the slots to lock the legs in their extended posi tion.

6. The combination in a folding table, of a pair of connected legs, a bracing and positioning link pivotally connected to each of said legs intermediate the ends of the leg, the upper ends of said links being pivotally connected to the table top and the upper ends of the legs being pivotally and slidably connected to the table top by means of a rod extending between and rotatably connected to the upper ends of the legs and extending beyond the end of the leg into slots in members connected to the table top, the ends of said rod which lie in said slots being of greater thickness in one direction than in another and said slots being of a width less than the greater thickness of the ends of the rod and each having an enlarged part at the point reached by the end of the rod when the legs are in extended potended position, and means for turning said rod to unlock the legs.

7. The combination in a folding table, of a pair of connected legs, a bracing and positioning link pivotally connected to each of said legs intermediate the ends of the leg, the upper ends of the legs being pivotally connected to the table top and the upper ends of said links being pivotally and slidably connected to the table top by means of a rod extending between and rotatably connected to the upper ends of the links and extending beyond the ends of the links into slots in members connected to the table top, the ends of said rod which lie in said slots being of greater thickness in one direction than in another and said slots being of a width less than F:

the greater thickness of the ends of the rod and in extended position, and means for turning said rod when its ends are in said enlarged parts of the slots to lock the legs in extended position, and means for turning said rod to unlock the legs.

8. The combination in a folding table, of a pair of connected legs, a bracing and positioning link pivotally connected to each of said legs intermediate the ends of the leg, the upper ends of said links being pivotally connected to the table top and the upper ends of the legs being pivotally and slidably connected to the table top by means of a rod extending between and rotatably connected to the upper ends of the legs and extending beyond the end of the leg into slots in members connected to the table top, the ends of said rod which lie in said slots being of greater thickness in one direction than in another and said slots being of a width less than the greater thickness of the ends of the rod and each having an enlarged part at the point reached by the end of the rod when the legs are in extended position, 75

a shoulder on said rod, and a partmoving with the legs which engages said shoulder and applies pressure thereto as the legs are swung out to their extended position to put the rod ends under torsional strain whereby when they enter the enlarged part of the slots they are turned to lock the legs in extended position.

9. The combination in a folding table, of a pair of connected legs, a bracing and positioning link pivotally connected to each of said legs intermediate the ends of the leg, the upper ends of said links being pivotally connected to the table top and the upper ends of the legs being pivotally and slidably connected to the table top by means of a rod extending between and rotatably connected to the upper ends of the legs and extending beyond the end of the leg into slots in members connected to the table top, the ends of said rod which lie in said slots being of greater thickness in one direction than in another and said slots being of a width less than the greater thickness of the ends of the rod and each having an enlarged part at the point reached by the end of the rod wh n the legs are in extended position, a shoulder on said rod, and a spring tensioned by movement of the legs to their extended position and which acts to give the rod a partial turn when its ends enter the enlarged part of the slots to lock the legs in extended position.

10. The combination in a folding table, of a pair of connected legs, a bracing and positioning link pivotally connected to each of said legs intermediate the ends of the leg, the upper ends of said links being pivotally connected to the table top and the upper ends of the legs being pivotally and slidably connected to the table top by means of a rod extending between and rotatably connected to the upper ends of the legs and extending beyond the end of the leg into slots in members connected to the table top, the ends of said rod which lie in said slots being of greater thickness in one direction than in another and said slots being of a width less than the greater thickness of the ends of the rod and each having an enlarged part at the point reached by the end of the rod when the legs are in extended position, and a spring whereby said rod is given a partial turn when its ends enter the enlarged part of the slots, thereby locking the legs in extended position.

11. The combination in a folding table, of a pair of connected legs, a bracing and positioning link pivotally connected to each of said legs intermediate the ends of the leg, the upper ends of said links being pivotally connected to the table top and the upper ends of the legs being pivotally and slidably connected to the'table top by means of a rod extending between and rotatably connected to the upper ends of the legs and extending beyond the end of the leg into slots in members connected to the table top, the ends of said rod which lie in said slots being of greater thickness in one direction than in another and said slots being of a width less than the greater thickness of the ends of the rod and each having an enlarged part at the point reached by the end of the rod when the legs are in extended position, means whereby by movement of the legs to their extended position said rod is put under tension :7

12. The combination in a folding table, of a T pair of connected legs, a bracing and positioning link pivotally connected to each of said legs intermediate the ends of the leg, the upper ends of said links being pivotally connected to the table top and the upper ends of the legs being pivotally and slidably connected to the table top by means of a rod extending between and rotatably connected to the upper ends of the legs and extending beyond the end of the leg into slots in members connected to the table top, the ends of said rod which lie in said slots being of greater thickness in one direction than in another and said slots being of a width less than thegreater thickness of the ends of the rod and each having an enlarged part at the point reached by the end of the rod when the legs are in extended position,

the legs in extended position, the other end of said plate serving as a finger-piece for turning the rod to unlock the legs, said finger piece end extending at such an angle and for such a distance from the rod that by movement thereof into engagement with the tabletop thev rod ends are turned to position to slide in the slots.

WILLIAM F. D'E SAUSSURE, JR. 

